P10b for squatters to add up to huge 'showcase' fund for the poor, says Kadamay

PRESS RELEASE l 10 DECEMBER 2011
KALIPUNAN NG DAMAYANG MAHIHIHIRAP
Reference: Gloria Arellano, Kadamay national secretary general (0921.392.7457)

MANILA, Philippines—Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) has slammed President Benigno Aquino III’s announcement that the government will spend some P10.55 billion for the resettlement of squatters during his watch.

Gloria Arellano, Kadamay national secretary general said, “The P10 billion allotment to relocate the urban poor nationwide from their communities, half of whom found in Metro Manila, will only add up the huge ‘showcase’ fund for the poor that the Aquino administration is boasting of.”

Arellano said, "The Aquino administration government has been using the plight of millions of poor Filipinos to justify its massive spending of public fund for programs that are palliative."

This huge 'showcase' fund includes the controversial P39 billion Cash Conditional Transfer fund for the year 2012, according to the group.

“The Commission on Audit (COA) should keep an eye on how this resettlement fund will be spent, for there are plenty of notorious low-cost housing firms that have been sabotaging the housing fund for the poor since the Estrada administration,” said Kadamay.

Mr. Aquino said the government will spend P10 billion for a vertical housing project in the National Capital Region to house 127,000 informal settler families, including 20,000 living in perilous places.

At least P450 million will be spent for a vertical housing project in Camarin, Caloocan City to benefit informal settler families from North Triangle, Quezon City while P100 million will be for housing units benefiting 4,000 informal settler families residing near the Iloilo River.

Twisted housing programs
The urban poor group also has slammed the housing program of the current administration, as not hitting the real squatters’ problem.

“Although, there has been a slight redirection of the government's resettlement program from off-city to in-city in some cases, the government still misses the very reason why urban poor prefer to live at the heart of the cities, even at danger and considered inhabitable areas like near dumpsite and riverbanks,” Arellano said.

“Urban poor lack the jobs and decent income to make them avail of houses in most residential areas in the cities. The few urban poor who are minimum-wage earners cannot even make ends meet to avail their family of the basic needs,” she added.

Under the existing housing program of the government, considering the widespread unemployment, urban poor won’t be able to pay for the monthly amortization even if such resettlement will be built inside the cities where livelihood opportunities are relatively present, according to Kadamay.

“The government needs to increase the wage of the workers and create jobs to permanently address the issue of squatting in urban centers,” Arellano said.

Twisted development projects
Meanwhile, Kadamay-North Triangle has rejected government’s offer to relocate the residents to Caloocan City.

Jocy Lopez, chair of Kadamay North Triangle, said, “We cannot comprehend the fact that the government would take away our homes for the interest of a few businessmen and the Ayalas.”

Lands in North and East Triangle will be developed by the national government to give way to Quezon City-Central Business District (QCCBD), which the residents say will never benefit the 24,000 families who will be displaced by the project.

Lopez said, “Some 3,000 families have already lost their homes to give way to Trinoma (mall) in 1997, yet not a single family in North Triangle has seen any improvement in the lives ever since as a result of the project.”

Also, Kadamay-Panay has slammed the rehabilitation and development of the Iloilo River and Batiano River with Kadamay-Panay secretary general Marites Pacifico saying that “the local government of Iloilo City and Oton town harp on the marketing strategy of rehabilitating both Iloilo and Batiano rivers in order to justify the massive destruction of dwellings of poor families along the riverbanks and their source of livelihood.”

The group has accused officials of “paying lip service to environmental rehabilitation” by displacing the poor who are blamed for causing pollution and obstructing the natural flow of the rivers.”

Pacifico said, “While putting the blame on poor inhabitants, the government is silent on the issue of the lack of waste water treatment facilities of commercial and business establishments.”

Kadamay-Panay noted that promises of relocation and housing are usually delayed while impending demolition aggravates the situation of poor families. ###